1250 Bandit ABS

[Rickster]

Well it looks like I'll be riding a Bandit soon, I got the test ride, and it was pretty much like everyone said it would be, gobs of torque, very slick shifting, stable & smooth with an acceptable amount of wind noise, and clean air on my helmet.

It wants to straighten up slightly when you apply the front brake in a turn, but you can trail the rear brake lightly, and it stays on line. The cool thing is, you can leave it in a higher gear than you might normally use, and just let the monster torque pull you through for an extremely smooth turn.

I was also pleased to note that there wasn't any noticeable heat coming off the engine or radiator, the FZ1 did dump a noticeable amount of heat on my feet, not as much as the FJR 1300, but enough that I noticed it, the Bandit was much better in that respect.

The ride is slightly firmer than my V Strom, but nothing even close to what I have felt on sport bikes I've ridden.

The one I rode didn't have the ABS brakes, and for a couple of seconds during the ride I was wishing it did, I took it on a pretty twisty back road, and wouldn't you know it, I had two spotted fawns run out in front of me. The standard brakes & sticky tires pulled me down from 60 to 15 real quick, and I was easily able to avoid them even though they decided to run down the road instead of off it.

The dealer didn't have an ABS model in stock, but he said it wouldn't be a problem getting one from another dealer, we agreed on a price of $8,000 + tax & title, about $8600 out the door.

I'm taking all the goodies off the V Strom before I sell it, so I'll have a bunch of stuff for sale.
Leo Vance pipes,
a Power Commander,
two seats,
two windshields,
a fork brace,
a drivers back rest,
a skid plate & crash bars,
Givi side bag mounts,
and a universal set of lower wind deflectors.

[Rickster]

I almost forgot the best part, because the dealer didn't have a ABS model in stock, he naturally tried to talk me into a non ABS model, but I never expected he would actually try and tell me that the non ABS model was safer, he even had two of his mechanics come out front to try and talk me out of the ABS, one of them went so far as to tell me that I was guaranteed to crash the first time the ABS kicked in, he said that everyone that he knows that has bought a bike with ABS has crashed because of the ABS, and they all wound up selling there ABS bikes & went back to bikes with standard brakes.

Anybody care to take a guess at what my reply to him was?

[ORBrit]

I guess congrats are in order!
I would love a new Bandit 1250 ABS.
I love my S50, but I think I'll end up switching to a standard sometime soon. Especially if I start instructing - I haven't seen a single instructor riding a cruiser!

A lot of Honda STs and Yamaha FJRs.

[intimid8er]

One last thing before you plunge.....

What about the new Connie?

[Clint]

I still can't believe you're ridding yourself of the 'Strom. I was under the impression you really like it, and you have that mountain of bags on it!

At any rate, congrats, though I think I'd have left that dealer with my money. No one who feeds you that b.s. with such a large shovel deserves it.

[intimid8er]

Originally Posted by RowdyRed94

I still can't believe you're ridding yourself of the 'Strom. I was under the impression you really like it, and you have that mountain of bags on it!

I'm gonna go out on a limb and say he might've been impressed with your ride??

Sorry, Rickster, don't want to speak for you! I too have been wondering why you're lookin' at the switch.

Hell....Vinnie's lookin' at a Sport-bike now!

[tricker]

Originally Posted by intimid8er

Hell....Vinnie's lookin' at a Sport-bike now!

doubtful they don't make highway bars for those when you go off roading..

[intimid8er]

Originally Posted by tricker

doubtful they don't make highway bars for those when you go off roading..

He's a "fabercater" ain't he?

[Rickster]

I do like my Strom, and it will be missed, but I won't miss the helmet buffeting that blurs my vision & gives me a headache after about 10 minuets, and I won't miss the engine "chudder" that happens between 3,000 & 3,500 RPM.

If they ever get those two issues figured out, I'll probably buy another one.

I revued all the big duel-sports, and the only one that didn't have helmet buffeting issues is the big BMW GS1200. Gasp, $18,000.

Tim, I know you haven't mentioned it with your Uly, but some other owners have, and the one I test rode last year had some, not as bad as my Strom, but still s-o-m-e!


And yes I was impressed with Clint's bike & it did figure into the decision making process to decide to buy one.

I didn't ride the Connie, but I did ride a FJR 1300, and a ST1300, both nice bikes, but neither one impressed me as being worth the extra money over either the Bandit or the FZ1.

Clint, yep, I almost did walk out on them when they started telling me how dangerous the ABS brakes were, but like you, I'm a man of my word, and I had already told them that if I liked the Bandit I'd buy from them. I really hope they can't find one, because I'd like to take my business elsewhere.

[tricker]

Originally Posted by intimid8er

He's a "fabercater" ain't he?

just ask clint about that one

[intimid8er]

Originally Posted by Rickster

I revued all the big duel-sports, and the only one that didn't have helmet buffeting issues is the big BMW GS1200. Gasp, $18,000.

Tim, I know you haven't mentioned it with your Uly, but some other owners have, and the one I test rode last year had some, not as bad as my Strom, but still s-o-m-e!

Buffeting?

No. I get none. Other than what you're going to get with a naked bike and token shield.

I'm thinking it's (buffeting) more a function of the rider's body shape, and size on the Uly. I've never experienced it, but that's not to say others haven't. To say I've never experienced it isn't exactly being forthright either. Sometime last year I got a wild hair up my ass to go ahead and experience the Buell "Tall" Windshield. Ummm....yeah......I couldn't take too much more of that....so I promptly uninstalled that mod.

After a year...a couple of things I decided I "need".

I'm thinking about some risers. Either I got some fantastically short Tyrannosaurus Rex arms, or that bike is too long from saddle to neck. Roxspeedfx dot com carries the goods, and I may order a set when they get 'em in next week. Check their site out Rick. They got some good stuff for sleds, ATV's, dirt-bikes, standards (Bandits, KLR's, Stroms, Beemer's, Uly's). I think an inch or two back to me would be great.

Another is probably the Laminar Lip from laminarlip dot com. Not an urgent need, but I'm guessing it'd be nice not to fight to stay on the bike at 80 mph indicated.

Thirdly, (someone help me out here), I think I crushed out (used up) the foam in the stock seat already. I sit down, and I can feel the frame rails under me. So I might either go for a Airhawk pad, or just pony up for a Corbin.

Mind you, I could probably live without making any of the mods above, but of all of them, I think the Airhawk/Corbin would be the have to of the group.

[Rickster]

The air hawks are nice, and work well, but personally I don't like the look of something added/strapped to my seat, I don't know, some how to me it just looks cheesy and cheep, but that's just my opinion. I guess if I was just going to have it on for comfort on longer trips & rides it would be OK, but if it was going to be on all the time, I'd spend the extra money and get a custom seat, just my humble opinion.

I just got off the phone with the out of town dealer, that's the one that was the first to offer me a test ride, I figured I owed him the courtesy of a call to let him know that I wouldn't be coming up there, and to thank him for his offer ,but that when the local dealer found out that he was going to let me ride his bike, the local dealer gave in and let me ride his.

Than the out of town dealer told me he would make it worth the drive up there if I bought from him, I told him I don't work that way, and that I already told the local dealer that if he let me test ride his bike I'd buy from him, and that I was just giving him a courtesy heads up call to let him know I wouldn't be coming up there.

Turns out that the out of town dealer may have the only ABS Bandit in the area, and he said he will not dealer trade with the local dealer, so I figure I'll give the local dealer 2 days to find me a bike, and if he can't, I'm taking my business to the out of town dealer, and save me some money.

So, I may not have to deal with the guys that told me ABS is dangerous.

[tricker]

oooooo the plot thickens...


oh and with the add on seat pad, mine only goes on the bike on trips over 100 miles for me.. less than that and i'm up for the challenge...

[Clint]

Well, you have another opportunity to get the price down a little. If you get it in Mora, you better let me know so I can see it!

[Rickster]

I'll bring it home the long way, through St Cloud.

[JmalB]

Originally Posted by ORBrit

I guess congrats are in order!
I would love a new Bandit 1250 ABS.
I love my S50, but I think I'll end up switching to a standard sometime soon. Especially if I start instructing - I haven't seen a single instructor riding a cruiser!

A lot of Honda STs and Yamaha FJRs.

When I took the MSF BRC the two male instructors rode Goldwings. The female instructor rode a 1970s vintage Harley...

[Rickster]

Well the out of town dealer has offered me $500 more for my V Strom in trade than the deal I had worked out with the local dealer.

I was very tempted to take it, but I hate going back on my word, so instead I went to the local dealer and told him what the out of town dealer had offered, than I reminded him of all the money I have spent in his dealership, and said he needs to sweeten the deal if he wants to keep my future business. I didn't threaten to back out of our present deal, but that after this we would be quits.

Lo-and-be-hold, Allah-be-praised, he came up with another $400 trade in allowance for the V Strom, so I'm picking up the new Bandit tonight.

It would really be the long way home going through St Cloud from this dealer, but I just might do that anyway.

Clint & Vinnie, don't be suprised if you get a call from me later on this evening.

[tricker]

I demand pictures be taken and posted immediately.. why? cause umm... bob dole said so?

[Clint]

Ha! Sweet.

I do have a softball game at 7, though. It's at Whitney Park on Northway Drive and about 20th Ave N. I'm not sure why I mentioned that, but there it is.

[Rickster]

Originally Posted by tricker

I demand pictures be taken and posted immediately.. why? cause umm... bob dole said so?

Hey Adam, looks like I might have to come down there and visit you now, I rode up to St Cloud last night and had a beer with Vinnie and Clint well we looked over the new Bandit, had a little over 200 miles on it by the time I got home. It's offical, I now have a bike that makes less noise than yours.

I got to meet both Clint's & Vinnie's familys, allmost makes me wish I never got divorced, real nice people, and Vinnie's wife has the coolest accent.

The Bandit seems to be everything I was expecting, I may have to get a taller windshield though, my helmet visor was covered with bugs in the first 5 miles on the way home in the dark, and I'll be adjusting the headlight up, it lit up my front fender real well, but not much out past that. The only other two things I have found that the dealer didn't do good on is the mirrors need tightening up ( they fold in at any speed over 100 ), and they filled the oil level just a tad to full, I'm changing oil tonight, so that's an easy fix. The seat is a little harder than the one on the V Strom was, but I think I could ride it to the Dragon with no problem.